1. How is Joba Chamberlain going to react after getting hit and allowing meaningful runs for the first time? It happens to everyone. It will happen to him. How will be rebound from that?

2. You know what a perfect trade is: Josh Beckett for Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez. Beckett is what the Red Sox wanted, a front-of-the-rotation horse who can handle the responsibility of pitching in Boston. Sanchez is on the DL now following shoulder surgery, but Ramirez is among the best position players in the majors, the kind of young shortstop you can build a team around.

3. Ricky Ledee announced his retirement while playing with the Metsâ Triple-A team. He might never have reached the consistency that was envisioned for him, but Ledee excelled at an important item: He was as nice a man as I have covered in more than two decades around baseball. I hope he enjoys his retirement.

4. If this is a career dive by Carlos Delgado, then what do the Mets do next year. He is owed $16 million for 2008. Would the Mets really make Delgado a part-time player or bench him completely or even release him? It is just another reason the Mets really need for this to be a bad year for Delgado and not the beginning of the end.

5. On the same subject, Mike Mussina is owed $11 million for next season. So it is not just the next few weeks that matter for him and the Yankees.